Julia did not want to be persuaded into doing things she was not ready to do. She didn’t want to give him part of herself and return to her apartment feeling used and lonely, as she had so many times with
Despite her self-protection, Julia slept far more peacefully with Gabriel than without him, and every day she didn’t see him her heart ached.
Monday afternoon found Julia answering her doorbell. A delivery person stood outside, holding a large, white box. She signed for it, and when she returned to her studio, she opened a card that was attached to the box.
The card had the initials
Julia opened the box and was immediately captivated by a beautiful fragrance. Inside, she was stunned to find a large glass bowl filled with water.
Suspended on the surface of the water were seven gardenias. She carefully removed the bowl from its packaging and placed it on her card table, inhaling deeply as the perfume began to permeate the room.
She re-read Gabriel’s note and eagerly opened her laptop so that she could send him a quick e-mail from her Gmail account:
On Wednesday afternoon, Julia met Paul by the mailboxes before Professor Emerson’s seminar. They exchanged pleasantries and chatted briefly before they were somewhat rudely interrupted by Julia’s cell phone. The call was (miraculously) from Dante Alighieri, so of course, she answered it.
“I have to take this,” she murmured to Paul apologetically before she walked into the hall.
“Hello?”
“Julianne.”
She smiled widely at the sound of his voice. “Hello.”
“Will you join me for dinner?”
She looked around quickly to ensure that she was alone. “Um, what did you have in mind?”
“Dinner at my place. I haven’t seen you since Saturday. I’m beginning to think you only want e-mail correspondence now that you have my new address.” Gabriel chuckled.
Julia breathed deeply, glad that he wasn’t irritated with her. “I’ve been getting ready for my next meeting with Katherine. You’ve been working on your lecture, so…”
“I need to see you.”
“I want to see you too. But we’ll see each other in a few minutes.”
“I need to speak to you about that. We’re going to have to pretend as if nothing happened in my last seminar. I’ll probably ignore you, just for effect. I wanted to tell you in advance so that I wouldn’t upset you.” He paused for a moment. “Of course, all I want to do is touch you, but we need to keep up appearances.”
“I understand.”
“Julianne…” he began, dropping his voice, “I don’t like this any more than you do. But I would like to have you join me for dinner tonight, so I can make it up to you. After, we can spend a quiet evening by the fire enjoying one another’s company. Before bed.”
Julia’s cheeks immediately flamed with color. “I’d like to, but I was planning on working all evening. I haven’t finished the revisions Katherine asked for, and I meet with her tomorrow afternoon. She’s very demanding.”
He began muttering under his breath.
“I’m sorry, Gabriel, but I want to make her happy.”
“What about making me happy?”
“I…” Julia was at a loss for words.
He fumed slightly. “Will you promise to see me Friday night, instead?”
“After your lecture?”
“I’ll be going to dinner. I’d like you to meet me at my place after that.”
“Won’t that be too late?”
“Not for what I have in mind. You promised, you know.”
Julia smiled at the thought of the new, mature sleepover she had only recently discovered.
“So will I see you Friday night?” He dropped his voice to a seductive whisper.
“Yes. I’ll have to come up with an excuse to give Paul. We’re going to the lecture together.”
Silence rippled on the other end of the telephone line.
“Hello?” Julia moved to a different location in the hallway, hoping her movement would improve her reception. “Are you still there?”
“I’m here.” Gabriel’s tone was suddenly glacial.
He was silent for another moment before he resumed speaking. “Did we or did we not have an arrangement that excluded sharing?”
“Um, of course.”
“I’ve kept up my end of that arrangement.”
“Gabriel, please — ”
He cut her off. “Tell me that I misunderstood what you just told me.”
“We’re friends. He asked me to go with him to your lecture. I didn’t think it was wrong.”
“Do you want me seeing other women as friends? Going to public events with them?”
“No,” she whispered.
“Then extend me the same courtesy.”
“Please don’t be cross with me.”
Her request was met with silence.
“He’s the only friend I have. Being a grad student in a strange city is very…lonely.”
“I thought I was your friend.”
“Of course you are. But I need someone to talk to about school and things.”
“Anything to do with the university should be discussed with me.”
“Please don’t make me give up the one friend I have, apart from you.
Then I really will be isolated, since I can’t be with you all the time.”
Gabriel flinched. “Have you told him you’re seeing someone?”
Julia gulped. “No. I thought it was a secret.”
“Come on, Julianne. You’re smarter than that.” He sighed loudly. “Fine.
I’ll concede that you need a friend, but he needs to realize that you are no longer available. He’s far too invested as it is, and that could create a problem for us.”
“I’ll tell him I have a new boyfriend. We’re supposed to go to the museum in two weeks to see — ”
